Saw this bumper sticker — “It’s All Good. I Ran Today.” Now, I’m not a runner. But I get it. This message is golden. All is good when you do what you need to do to put yourself in a good place.
I emphatically remind audience members in leadership training that self-care is not selfish. Quite the contrary. Self-care is the greatest gift you can give to yourself and those you serve. The cornerstone of self-care is intentionally making space for the things that make you better. These are the things that put you in a good place – the things that fortify you.
Sure, you can overbook, over schedule and over commit, but there is a limit. And the more you push yourself to the extremes, the larger the chasm between being effective and being exhausted. One third of Americans sleep less than six hours a night. That’s at least one hour less than the suggested seven to nine hours of sleep needed. Again, less sleep means less restorative sleep.
So start your self-care. Find your own answer. Make your own bumper sticker. Fill in the blank. “All Is Good. I _________ Today.”
What’s the thing you need to include to make you feel good and thrive. It could be napping, reading, socializing, exercising, resting, cleaning or anything else. Drains are those things that decrease your effectiveness and exhaust you. We need to find the gains and make space for them. Gains are those things that ground you. What’s In Your Blank?
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Patty Hendrickson, interactive leadership speaker, works with organizations that want to grow leaders and people who want more out of life. She helps people move beyond the busy and build momentum that matters.